Ching's: Sapa Trip Part 1

So, finally manage to compile some pictures from the Sapa trip and can do a blog post part 1 about it!

After our event in Hanoi, Fiona and I braved the cold to visit Sa Pa!
As understood from Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Pa), it is one of the main market towns in the area, where many ethnic minority groups such as H'mong, Dao and Tay live.

To what I see and experienced, it is a quaint lill town nestled in the mountainous area in one part of Vietnam. The highlights of Sa Pa are the minority tribes and trekking. So you trekked through the various paddy fields and visit the minority tribes community.

Why do I say braved the cold earlier? I am not a person whom takes cold well, in the evening time in Hanoi, I am quite chilled and Sa Pa due to its location in the moutainous area, its even colder. In fact, last year during January, Sa Pa town experienced snow!

So from Hanoi, we had to take a train down to Sa Pa.

Ladies and Gentleman, if theres one thing I learnt from this trip is to always spend a lill more on train rides / bus rides to gain a comfortable ride!
It makes more sense to spend a lill more, had sufficient rest the next day then to save a little end up ruining the following day mood.

There's a peculiar story behind our train rides as to why I came up with the above lesson, but lets leave that for another time. Another part. ;P

Just outside the train station;

The train station is crowded and rather unclean with all the filth on the floor. Guess I am too spoiled of a Singaporean.

There, we had to walk to the train to board it. There's no link / boarding platforms for us.

Maybe I looked Vietnamese, or simply we looked overwhelmed by the luggage we have, someone offered to carry for us!

But kwa kwa kwa! No tips.

I have become very thick-skinned. I don't even tip porter in classier business hotel.

Its my first time on a train ride! Thus, took plenty of photos but shall keep it at one to share for now.

The class of cabin we had was good. It was brown furnishing with comfortable and seemingly clean mattress and blanket.

The train departs at 9pm/10 oddish. So after a phone call with Mr Nick, Fiona and I chatted for quite sometime about what happen during our workday and our conversations with our bosses and such...

The thing about Fiona and I is that, I never felt the need to conceal anything from her. I openly shared what I think about the others and how I think what this means when people said this or do that. And she, always gets what I meant and was never judgemental.

Thank god, in the midst of work, I found a friend. :)

The train does not arrive in Sa Pa directly, instead it will arrive in a province known as Lao Cai that is close to Sa Pa. Then from Lao Cai, it is a couple of hours of car ride up to Sa Pa.

Fiona made arrangements for us to have a tour in Lao Cai before heaidng up to Sa Pa as we arrive in the wee hours.

Breakfast! The most important meal to me.

It was cold in Lao Cai! And the guide said its gonna be even colder in Sa Pa.

The day tour we had brought us to a market known as "Courtley Market", supposing the most colourful market in Lao Cai province's minority community! There are many minority communities and this market is one of them. Happening only once a week on tuesday, we were lucky to be able to see how is it like, to see how life goes on for a community that is so different from us.

Assortment of items are sold there. Heck, they even sell tobacco raw.

It was also the raining season, so there were plenty of mud pools around.

They seemed to be very use to foreigners even though Fiona and I didn't see any other tourists around. We had our private guide and we see how animals are sold, goods are barter and even hair cuts are done in the market.

Its a lill refreshing for me to be honest. In Sgp, everything is within a stone throw away yet there, in "Courtley Market", the communities walked distances and distances to come to this market to sell / trade / catch up with friends.

I saw many of the ladies foot were cracked through all the walking and for those with soles, the shoes were worn out and anytime ready to come apart.
Toddlers don't have tender feet there. Their feet, can be seen, were seasoning with blisters and cuts through the walkings.

Very colourful, no?

We then left the market and walked down this steep and scary slope that don't give chance kind!

Wah lao, I was quite worried I might missed a footing and really just roll down the slope.
Damn steep, no joke.

We were walking down to the river, THERE. The river.

This was the beginning so Fiona could still take some pictures.
After we reached the ground, I looked up and realized we just walked down a hill. -__-

A. Hill.

The reason why we were heading down were because, we were to take a boat ride down the river to the lower part to catch our bus.

And the boat ride was 1 hour 45 minutes.

And its knn de cold can.

I was freezing my arse off in there and I think the idyllic ride makes Fiona in a melancholic mood.

We stopped by in nearby one of the river villages to see how is it like.
The village we went to was considered relatively well to do. They had TV with statelites and proper housings.

Even so, it was hard for me to imagine how different lives are led.

In this village, we spotted cute black piglets.

BUT VERY STRANGE, there is only one pink pig / sow.

So, the black piglets come from the only pink pig / sow?

We then had lunch which was part of the package.
Pick up from train + private guide and vehicle to "Courtley Market" + boat ride + lunch was our package. Its not cheap I recalled but specifically how much I can't remember.
Was it USD 70? There about. But hey! We had our private guide AND private vehicle.

Oh glorious fooood.

I honestly miss the Vietnamese spring roll in Vietnam.

After lunch, the guide brought us to this place that borders China. So apparantely, Vietnam and China are just seperated by a bridge.
Its even closer compared to JB and us!